Red Sox Pitcher Confronts Commissioner About Gambling, Social Media Threats

Newsweek

a day ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Three months after a teammate and his wife went public with death threats they received on social media, Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito was compelled to confront commissioner Rob Manfred about the issue.
Giolito told Rob Bradford on the Baseball Isn't Boring podcast that the threats against Boston pitcher Liam Hendriks in May were hardly an isolated incident.
More news: Former Red Sox, Indians, Angels Pitcher Passes Away
Giolito said the online threats are getting worse "by the year, by the week, by the day."
It's a @BBisntBoring on the Go: Lucas Giolito talked to Rob Manfred today about the growing problem with gambling-induced threats in MLB
Listen: https://t.co/GozwBKiDi2 pic.twitter.com/QY6mLjfzyX — Rob Bradford (@bradfo) July 22, 2025
"I'm getting messages after every game," he said. "Even games where I pitched well, where they're mad at me because I hit the strikeout over instead of being under; prop bets, all these crazy things. People put hundreds of dollars on it. They don't have a lot of money but they're gambling it anyway because it's a disease. They freak out."
Garrett Crochet #35 of the Boston Red Sox reacts with Lucas Giolito #54 of the Boston Red Sox after pitching his first career complete-game shutout against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 12 at Fenway...
Garrett Crochet #35 of the Boston Red Sox reacts with Lucas Giolito #54 of the Boston Red Sox after pitching his first career complete-game shutout against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 12 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. More
Maddie Malhotra/BostonGiolito told Bradford that Manfred was receptive to his feedback during their 1-on-1 meeting.
"Is it going to take a player getting assaulted in front of their apartment building by some disgruntled guy who lost a bet for real action to be taken?" Giolito said he asked Manfred.
More news: Red Sox Pitcher Who Returned to MLB After 7-Year Layoff Suddenly Retires
The pitcher and his girlfriend reported the threatening messages using the social media apps — usually Instagram and Twitter/X, he said — on which they were received. However, these messages do not always result in disciplinary action against the senders.
Giolito said his fear that someone "in a drastic state" could injure or kill a player is genuine, based on some of the messages he's received.
"The threats when a player doesn't perform well, threats to their family, threats to their life, it's getting very tiring," Giolito said. "I worry for guys that maybe are new to the league and aren't ready for something like that, you know? ... Maybe at this point (the league) puts it in the rookie orientation program. It definitely wasn't there when I went to that. That was a long time ago."
Giolito, 31, made his major league debut in 2016.
More news: Red Sox Sign Veteran Recently Released by Yankees
Manfred recently spoke to the Red Sox as a team about "growing the game" of baseball, before Giolito said he pulled him aside for their 1-on-1 conversation.
"I appreciate (Manfred) coming around and talking to everybody," he said.
For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.